Average test taker and difficulty with cardiology board exams?

[Doctor_Strange]

I'm studying for ABIM right now and I feel like I am going to pass barely and I am wondering if applying to Cards is a fool's errand. I see applicants with 260s/270s Steps and I have never been a good test taker. Maybe it's silly to think this way but I'm curious with other current fellows and attendings.

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[shouldigomd]

I wouldn't use IM and Cardiology board exams as a marker of ability level or a hurdle... Not entirely sure what your question is but >80% of test takers pass ABIM and Cards. If you fail you can retake.These tests are meaningless and really nothing more than a money grab. Obviously those who are "smarter and harder working" score better on average however I have seen many braindead cardiologists with top tier scores. I think those 99th percentile scores and above are red flags most of the time. The competitiveness of specialties in America has nothing to do with the difficulty. I think being a good IM physician is much harder than being a good general cardiologist. I was reminded of that frequently when I moonlight as a hospitalist during my cardiology training.

 

[cv2023]

Outstanding comment above.

EP cardiologist here. I hate that it has come to this, but the sad truth is that boards are essentially meaningless (see the fiasco from last year's Gen Cards boards). It is a money grab and has no bearing on your actual ability to treat patients. Put a different way, I have no idea what the board scores are of my partners and of other physicians in my hospital, but I absolutely know who I would trust with my family's care and who I want nowhere near my loved ones.

Also completely agree that being a good IM doc is much harder than being a good cardiologist. For the life of me, I still don't know what a positive ANA means, lol.